Mining Magazine > Panorama > CiDRA is chosen supplier to Bechtel/Xstrata Copper strategic alliance

CiDRA Minerals Processing recently announced that through an agreement with Bechtel International, CiDRA will be the supplier of flowmeters for five Xstrata Copper greenfield projects, which are part of a Bechtel/Xstrata strategic alliance and the Standard Concentrator Project.

This project is a first in the copper industry and will speed up project execution and provide costs savings across multiple projects. Xstrata, amongst the world’s top five mined and refined copper producers, approved this strategic alliance with Bechtel, which covers a 10-year period, whereby Bechtel International will perform EPCM and or EPC services as required for all Xstrata Copper greenfield projects.

The Bechtel alliance provides Xstrata with the proven management, technical expertise and construction management skills needed for development of multi-billion dollar projects. CiDRA’s SONARtrac systems were chosen as the best technology fit for the critical slurry lines within all five projects, which include Antapaccay in Peru, Las Bambas in Peru, El Pachon in Argentina, Tampakan in the Philippines, and Frieda River in Australia.

CiDRA has completed shipment of sonar flowmeters to the Antapaccay mine, which is nearing production. Bechtel has designed a standard concentrator that will be used in all of the five projects. The use of a standard concentrator in multiple copper concentrator projects will have significant benefits for Xstrata, including engineering, procurement, vendor submittal, construction and start-up efficiencies, as well as cost savings and reduced operating costs.